Sidewalk Accessibility Assessment with Daxbots

You are not the first person to ask if there is an app to track Dax. Unfortunately, the Daxbot team has not created an app yet, but we have shared the feedback with them. Thanks for your interest in this project!

Thank you for sharing this concern. The sidewalk accessibility assessment evaluates existing sidewalks and related pedestrian features, including curb ramps, signalized intersections, and transit stops, as part of the City’s ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. While the ADA Transition Plan will note City facilities that need improvement, we don’t have a timeframe on when individual projects will be addressed. Once the data is collected, the staff will coordinate with the City’s Disabilities Issues Review Board to develop a prioritized list of projects which will be adopted as part of the Plan. It is anticipated that the ADA Transition Plan will be adopted late this year.

In the meantime, the City’s Engineering Services department has been notified about your issue with the sidewalk on Grande Boulevard. If you have any other comments or questions, you can contact them through the comment form on their website at Engineering Services | City of Tyler, TX.

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience. We are sorry to hear that you have had difficulty accessing local businesses while using your wheelchair or scooter. No one should feel like they have to wait outside for someone to open a door or choose another business because they cannot safely and independently enter.

Private businesses that are open to the public do have accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In Texas, buildings and facilities may also be subject to the Texas Accessibility Standards, which are overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation through its Architectural Barriers program.

One common point of confusion is that the ADA does not automatically require every entrance to have a push-button door opener. However, accessible entrances and doors must still meet applicable standards, such as accessible routes, door clearances, thresholds, hardware, and other design requirements. If a person using a wheelchair or scooter cannot access an entrance, that is a concern that may need to be reviewed.

For private businesses, accessibility complaints are generally handled by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) or the U.S. Department of Justice, depending on the nature of the concern. You can report building accessibility concerns in Texas through the TDLR complaint process by visiting www.tdlr.texas.gov/complaints/ and selecting Architectural Barriers. You can also file an ADA complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice at www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/.

When submitting a complaint, it is helpful to include the business name, address, date you experienced the issue, a description of the barrier, and any photos if available. Reporting concerns directly to the appropriate agency helps create a record of the issue and allows the agency with enforcement authority to review the concern.

The City’s ADA jurisdiction focuses on City facilities, programs, services, sidewalks, and public rights-of-way. We appreciate you taking the time to raise this concern and hope this information helps you report accessibility barriers when you encounter them.

Sidewalks along Golden Road will be evaluated as part of this assessment. 

The sidewalk accessibility assessment covers existing sidewalks, curb ramps, signalized intersections, and transit stops in areas with higher foot traffic as part of the City’s ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan and federal requirements. The information collected will help the City document current conditions in those more heavily traveled areas and support future accessibility planning.